Chapter 54: Arriving at the Order Academy Division

The area was large enough to accommodate a flying vehicle, and one was already waiting there.

It was an Academy Skyship prepared by the Order Academy representatives.

Rollin stood beside it with the Formation Engineer, waiting for them to arrive.

Several other selected candidates were also gathered nearby.

The Order Academy had only selected a few people from Blackstone City, while the other academies had selected their own candidates as well. All of them were gathered here before leaving the city.

The City Lord looked at Aria.

"Remember what I told you. Behave yourself when you get there."

Aria puffed out her cheeks.

"I know, Father."

"And don’t cause trouble for Ethan."

"I won’t."

The City Lord raised an eyebrow.

"You said that very quickly."

"Because I mean it."

Ethan smiled.

The City Lord sighed and turned away.

Rollin stepped forward.

"Everyone who has been selected is here. From this point onward, the Order Academy will be responsible for your journey."

He glanced at the candidates.

"You will soon arrive at the place where many of the strongest young talents in Elyria gather. Make good use of the opportunity."

Rollin turned toward the Academy Skyship.

"Let’s go."

The group boarded the Academy Skyship one after another.

The inside was filled with rows of seats along both sides and large windows overlooking the outside.

Dark silver metal covered the walls, with faint magical formations glowing across them.

There were no engines. The skyship relied entirely on magical formations for movement and stability.

Ethan found an empty seat beside Aria and sat down.

The other candidates took their seats as well.

Rollin remained standing near the front of the cabin.

Once everyone had settled down, he looked around at them.

"Before we leave, there’s something you should know"

"You may already know this, but the true Order Academy has its own plane."

Several candidates exchanged glances.

Rollin continued.

"That plane is where the main academy is located. It is also where most of the Order Academy’s strongest instructors, experts, and students reside."

He paused for a moment.

"But we aren’t going there yet."

Aria looked at him.

"Then where are we going?"

"The Aethernal Empire."

Aria’s eyes widened slightly.

"The Aethernal Empire?"

Rollin nodded.

"The Aethernal Empire controls an enormous territory and possesses enough power to stand among the strongest Hegemon-level factions. It is also home to countless powerful families, organizations, and academies."

"The Aethernal Empire."

Ethan knew the name well.

It was widely recognized as a Hegemon-level faction, and even the most isolated Novice Villages knew of its existence.

The Empire had existed for countless years and controlled a vast territory. To most people, it was simply one of the strongest factions in Elyria.

But Ethan knew better.

The Aethernal Empire was already close to becoming an Overlord-level faction.

Rollin continued.

"But don’t misunderstand our destination. We are not going to the Imperial Capital."

Another candidate asked, "Then where exactly are we going?"

"The Order Academy Division."

"The Order Academy has several Divisions throughout Elyria. These Divisions allow the Academy to maintain a presence in different parts of the world without requiring every student to travel directly to the main academy plane."

He looked toward the windows.

"The Division in the Aethernal Empire is located in a territory that the Empire has designated for the Order Academy."

Aria tilted her head.

"So does the Empire control it?"

Rollin immediately shook his head.

"No."

His answer was simple.

"The territory is within the Aethernal Empire, but the Division belongs to the Order Academy. The Empire does not interfere with its internal affairs."

He paused before adding,

"And the Order Academy doesn’t interfere with the Empire’s affairs either. At least, not without a very good reason."

A few candidates exchanged glances.

Rollin noticed their expressions and chuckled.

"You’ll learn soon enough that powerful factions tend to respect each other’s boundaries."

He straightened.

"The Division is where you will begin your time with the Order Academy. You’ll receive your student identification there, learn the rules, meet your instructors, and be assigned your initial training arrangements."

Aria raised her hand again.

"What about the main academy?"

Rollin looked at her for a moment.

"You’re already thinking about that?"

"I’m curious."

"That curiosity is good."

Rollin smiled.

"But don’t worry about the main academy yet. You’ll have plenty of time to learn about it."

He turned toward the front of the skyship.

"For now, just focus on getting there."

The magical formations throughout the cabin suddenly brightened.

A low vibration passed through the floor.

The Academy Skyship soon left Blackstone City behind.

It traveled at an incredible speed, far faster than any ordinary flying vehicle Ethan had seen.

Even so, the Aethernal Empire was thousands upon thousands of kilometers away.

Finally, after several days of travel, the Academy Skyship arrived in the Aethernal Empire. Even after entering its territory, they continued flying for several hours before finally reaching the Order Academy Division.

A massive wall soon appeared in the distance, stretching across the horizon with an enormous gate at its center.

The Academy Skyship flew over the gate and into the Order Academy Division.

Everyone looked out through the windows.

Only then did they realize just how enormous the Division was.

The Academy Skyship descended toward a large platform surrounded by several buildings.

It landed smoothly, and the doors opened.

The candidates stepped outside and looked around curiously.

Rollin followed them down.

"You don’t need to worry about finding your way around."

He pointed toward a group of students waiting nearby.

"Senior students will show you around and explain how things work here. They’ll also fill you in on the important rules and anything else you need to know."

The candidates nodded.

"Thank you, instructor Rollin."

Rollin waved a hand.

"There’s no need to thank me yet."

He smiled.

"You can all go with them. I still have something to discuss with Ethan."

The candidates looked at Ethan before leaving with the senior students.

Aria hesitated for a moment, but eventually followed the others.

Soon, only Ethan and Rollin remained.

Ethan waited until the others had left before turning toward Rollin.

"Instructor Rollin, may I ask why you wanted to speak with me?"

Rollin looked at the silver tear-shaped mark on Ethan’s forehead.

"That mark."

Ethan nodded.

"The Tear of Spirit."

Rollin’s expression became more serious.

"You probably already know what it can do."

Ethan remained silent.

"The Tear of Spirit is extremely valuable. Its ability to continuously increase one’s Spirit is something that many people would be willing to kill for. It’s especially valuable to professions that rely heavily on Spirit."

Rollin paused.

"And you’re not the only person who knows that."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"There are others in the Order Academy who possess a Tear of Spirit. Some obtained theirs through luck, while others received them through powerful connections or special opportunities."

He folded his arms.

"Most of them won’t bother you. But there will always be people who see what you have and start thinking about how they can get it."

"Some may try to buy it from you. Others may try to get close to you for the same reason. And there will always be a few who would rather take it than pay for it."

"I understand."

"I thought you would."

Rollin’s expression softened slightly.

"I called you here because you’re new to the Order Academy. You don’t know who you can trust yet, and you don’t know which people you should avoid."

He looked at Ethan seriously.

"So I’m warning you now. If someone approaches you because of the Tear of Spirit, be careful. You don’t have to sell it, give it to anyone, or agree to anything you don’t want."

He paused.

"And as long as you’re in the Order Academy, no one will force you to hand it over. The Academy protects its students, regardless of where they come from."

Ethan nodded.

"Thank you for the warning, Instructor Rollin. I appreciate you looking out for me."

He had only taken a few steps when one of the senior students approached him.

"You’re the new students, right?"

He glanced at the time.

"I’m Darius. I’ve only got thirty minutes to show you around and explain the important stuff."

He sighed.

"Rollin used five of those minutes talking to you, so we’ve only got twenty-five minutes left."

Ethan nodded.

"Then we should get started."

Darius waved a hand.

"Exactly. Come on. I’ll show you around. I’ve got other things to do after this."

He turned and started walking.